PITTSBURGH — This article originally appeared on pittsburghsportsnow.com.
It wasn’t surprising that Pitt racked up 17 points in the first quarter against Syracuse. It was surprising that the Pitt linebackers caught more passes than the wide receivers in the first quarter.
Pitt picked off Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord three times in the first quarter, returning two for touchdowns, and set the tone for a thoroughly dominant defensive effort against the Orange. A missed Syracuse 48-yard field goal coming out of the final two-minute warning secured a 41-13 win for the Panthers.
Eli Holstein completed 11-of-15 pass attempts for 108 yards and two touchdowns before leaving in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury, replaced by Nate Yarnell. The offense managed just 202 yards of offense, but Holstein didn’t need to do much as the defense swarmed a helpless McCord all night, forcing him into five interceptions.
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